Dunkerque, France (August 2009)

Dunkerque (Dunkirk) is most famous for the evacuation of allied forces in 1940 as the Germans were closing in. The war museum was near the marina. All of the Flemish coastal towns were hard-hit by the two world wars, but Dunkerque was nearly completely destroyed. The old buildings we saw there were all restored or rebuilt in significant measure.

In keeping with our tower-climbing tradition, we toured the belfry. Unlike our other tower-climbs, this one included a guide and an elevator.

These days Dunkerque is primarily a beach resort, and a free bus runs along the beach in the summer. We used it to go shopping at a huge supermarket that wasn't within easy walking distance from the marina.